Scooby Initiation
by Tygerwulfe
Summary: AU S7 Spike becomes an official Scooby, but has to endure the 'initiation' first. Yet another 'ticklish Spike' fic from me. FLUFFY! REVIEW! PLEASE! edited to remove a typo.


Disclaimer: Not mine. There, happy now!?  
  
Summary: Spike's official initiation into the Scooby Gang. Yet another 'ticklish Spike' fic from me.  
  
Author's Notes: I'm feeling sick. Got a bit of a cold, and can't sleep. Writing or reading about Spike being tickled always makes me feel better. Even though, as I write this, ff.net is still down, so I have no clue when I'll post this. I also want to thank my fellow fic author msu (hey, Mel!), for this idea. She did somethin' similar in her fic All That's Good And Bad (which is *amazingly* good, and deserves a whole heck of alot more reviews than it has, *hint, hint*), and I just couldn't help but play with it for awhile. lol.   
  
For the purposes of this fic, let's assume that Spike gets over his insanity (which I am enjoying playing with, but is starting to get old), and is forgiven by all the Scoobies. Not *dating* Buffy, but really close friends. Also, this fic will NOT be continued. I let you guys talk me into it with Test Subject, but not this time. *grins* I've still got OOT to wrap up.  
  
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Title: Scooby Initiation  
Author: Tigerwolf  
=================  
  
Relaxation was the order of the day at the Summers household. Finally, after many months of confusion and pain, some more emotional than physical, things had begun to calm down. Xander and Anya, while not *back together* in the 'will you marry me... again..' sense, were at least getting along. And speaking to each other. That was of the good. Willow, well, she was doing a whole lot better, and had amazing control, especially since she never did finish that reabilitation in England. Giles called at least once a week, and spoke to the whole gang, keeping tabs on what everyone was doing and how their lives were. Dawn was doing well in school, and Buffy's now not so new job as a counselor was going great. Except when the students went psycho and summoned a demon, but that was a relativily rare occurance, especially when one considered where the school was located. Spike, well... He needs his own paragraph.  
  
It had taken a good three months after Buffy had forced him to leave the school basement before he was anything resembling his former self. Even now, he was prone to occasional bouts of staring at nothing, and had even walked into a wall or a closed door a couple of times. But at least the nonsensical ramblings had ceased. And he was bathing regularly. Something that Buffy had insisted on, seeing as how he was living in their basement. He'd gradually become accepted by the others, Xander last of all, but even that had worked out. Now, the only two males spent many Sundays watching gory movies and football games together. As for Spike and Buffy, well, things had worked out better than either of them had hoped. Spike, through months of being annoying, and occasionally playful, had wormed his way into the Slayer's heart. They were like best friends, really. She played with him the same way she played with Willow or Xander, and Spike loved it. She was treating him like a Scooby. Like a real member of their little disjointed family. Although no one had made it official. Today, that would change.  
  
The vampire was louging on the couch, with Dawn sitting on the floor in front of it, leaning her head back against his blue tee shirt clad stomach. She had the remote, and was flipping through the channels, finally settling on an old Scooby-Doo cartoon.   
  
Xander, who was mostly asleep in a chair, gave a little groan. "Dawnie. Come on. At least turn the volume down."  
  
Buffy came out of the kitchen, grinning at the group. "Yeah, Dawn. He's had a long night. Let him rest in peace."  
  
Spike, who was only marginally concious, sang quietly, "Lemme get some sleep... Take my love and bury it... hole six foot deep.."  
  
Buffy started giggling instantly, nearly dropping her coffee. Oh man. He was quoting his own song. Dawn just craned her neck backwards to regard him curiously, then shrugged and turned the volume down.  
  
Xander sighed and relaxed back into the chair. "This is perfect. The gang's all here."  
  
Willow, who was standing on the stairs, started to agree, but suddenly paused. Had a semi-evil idea. "Buffy, Xander, can you two come into the kitchen for a moment?"  
  
Confused, the two other original Scoobies followed the former witch into the kitchen. "What's up, Will?", Xander asked.  
  
Buffy leaned against the counter, sipping her coffee. Ah. Caffine. Breakfast of champions.  
  
"I was just thinking. Have we ever made Spike an official Scooby?"  
  
Buffy nodded. "Yeah. He's been one for.. like three years now, I guess."  
  
"But did we ever make it *official*?" Delibrate stress on that last word.  
  
Buffy gave a slow grin. "Why no. I don't think we did. In fact, I know we didn't."  
  
Xander looked back and forth between the two girls confusedly. "So we get him one of the keychains. So what?"  
  
Buffy looked at Xander. "There's more to it than that. Remember in the library all those years ago?"  
  
Xander thought for a moment. "Refresh my memory, guys. That was like another lifetime."  
  
Willow giggled. "Ok. We were all around the table, and Buffy fell asleep. Giles came up behind her and woke her up. By tickling her ribs..."  
  
Xander's eyes widened in rememberance. "Oh! Yeah. And that started all of us attacking each other for about fifteen minutes. I remember."  
  
"Well," Buffy said. "That was our official forming of the Scooby Gang. We got the keychains the next day." Fished out her keys and held up her Daphne chain.  
  
Willow held up her Velma, and Xander grinned at his Shaggy. He chuckled. "Yeah. I remember. I wonder if Giles still has his Fred."  
  
Buffy nodded. "Of course he does. We were actually just talking about it the other day." She gave Xander a light smack. "And I still can't believe you wanted to give Angel a Scooby-Doo."  
  
"He growls! Like a dog. Besides, it was all that was left."  
  
Willow smiled. "Spike growls. And I bet we still have that old Scooby-Doo chain around here, somewhere."  
  
Buffy laughed. "The really funny thing is that Dawn's got a Scrappy-Doo. She insisted."  
  
Xander grinned. "How appropriate."  
  
Willow looked at her two friends. "So, are we doing this? Make Spike an official part of the gang?"  
  
Xander shrugged. "I don't know, Will. I mean, are vampires even ticklish?"  
  
Buffy giggled. "That one is. Trust me."  
  
Xander deadpanned. "I so never want you to tell me how you found that out."  
  
"Don't worry. It's a secret."  
  
"Thank you, ever so much."  
  
Buffy grinned at them. "Okay. Here's the plan. We're gonna ask him, first. But not tell him exactly what we're gonna do. Deal?"  
  
"Deal."  
  
"Deal."  
  
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Half an hour later, they were all in the living room again, and the final credits of the Scooby-Doo cartoon were going off. Dawn had been pulled aside and breifed on the situation and plan, and was totally ready to help. Stage was set. Time to bring up the subject. Dawn played her part perfectly. She looked to her sister as the final strains of "Scooby-Dooby-Doo, Where Are You?" played from the TV. "Buffy, is Spike a Scooby?"  
  
Spike opened one eye at this. Wanting to know the answer.  
  
Buffy pretended to think. "Well.. I guess. But he didn't ever go through the initiation."  
  
Spike looked at her from his reclined position. "What initiation? I've helped avert like, what? Three apocolypses, now?"  
  
Buffy nodded. "Yeah... But that's only enough for honorary membership. Like Angel and Cordy have."  
  
Spike sat up a bit more. "Peaches isn't a Scooby?"  
  
Xander shook his head. "Nope. Never took the initiation, either. Never got his keychain. He's an auxiliary Scooby. LA chapter."  
  
Spike got kind of excited. He could have something with this group that his Grandsire never had! Oh boy! And! To be a real member of the Gang, the family, it was almost too much to process. "Well!? What do I have to do?"  
  
Willow shrugged. "It's not much, really. Kind of an endurance test."  
  
Spike looked at Willow. "Like what? Running on a treadmill? Pain endurance?"  
  
She shook her head. "Nope. It's fun, though, really. We've all been through it."  
  
The vampire glanced around, getting confused. "Been through what? How can an endurance test be fun?"  
  
Dawn smiled up at him from the floor. "Doesn't take long, Spike. It'd be over before you know it."  
  
Buffy slid forward on her chair. "So, are you in?"  
  
Oh, the delima. He wanted, *needed*, to be accepted into the Gang officially. Everything in his heart, in his *soul* was begging for it. But rarely did Spike get into something without knowing the details first. This would not be one of those rare times. "Tell me exactly what I'm agreeing to, first, Slayer."  
  
Buffy laughed and shook her head. "Nope. We didn't know what was coming when it happened to us, either. So you can't know. Do you want to be a Scooby, or not? In, or out?"  
  
Bit his lip, a Summers family gesture that he'd picked up over the years. "In."  
  
"Yay!", Dawn said happily. Looked at the others. "He agreed. So, now?"  
  
"Not yet, Dawnie," Buffy said, slowly standing to her feet. She shook a finger at Spike when he moved to get up. "Oh no. You stay there. It's the perfect place." Looked at her friends. "Xander, sit on his legs. Will, hold his shoulders. Dawn, on his thighs. Limit his movement."  
  
Spike was getting progressivly more nervous as each Scooby assumed their commanded positions. What was going on? What were they going to do to him. Without meaning to, he started trembling slightly. Chewed his lip almost to the point of bleeding. Everyone noticed the shaking.  
  
Buffy touched his cheek gently, the logic behind this 'brilliant' idea was suddenly seeming flawed. They hadn't meant to scare him. Said softly, soothingly, "Spike, it's okay. I promise we're not going to hurt you."  
  
He looked from face to face, seeing only sympathetic looks. Blinked. "Then what is gonna happen that you needed three people to hold me down?"  
  
Dawn gave him a smile. "We don't want you squirming so bad that you'll hurt yourself by fallin' off the couch or something."  
  
"Squirming? Wha-" Broke off when he saw Buffy flip up his shirt a little. Realization hit him. "Oh no. No-no-no-no..."  
  
Buffy grinned at him. "Like I said, Spike. We've all been through it."  
  
"Held down!?"  
  
Xander chuckled. "Not really. But, with the exception of Super Slayer there, none of us are strong enough to really hurt ourselves."  
  
Spike gave a snort. "Your compassion is overwhelming."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
The vampire looked up at Buffy. "Luv.. is there any way around this? Huh?"  
  
Buffy shook her head. "Relax, Spike. You know you like it when I tickle you."  
  
Swallowed. "Yeah, but that's when we're alone, and I can move."  
  
Dawn giggled. "It could be worse. We could all go at you at once. Be glad that three out of four are just actin' as anchors."  
  
Spike's blue eyes grew wide. "Good point, Bit." Looked to Buffy. "Get on with it then." Resigned tone.  
  
Buffy laughed, then examined her trapped victim. Began low on his ribs, an especially weak spot. Spike gritted his teeth, and let out a strangled laugh. Buffy smiled at him. "You can laugh, Spike. And struggle. This is supposed to be fun." Wiggled her fingers on both sides at once, in that same tender spot. This time, Spike didn't hold back. He howled with laughter instantly, and thrashed beneath his captors as Buffy's hands went up and down his ribcage and across his stomach. Squirmed and laughed when she focused on his bellybutton for what seemed like hours, but in reality were only seconds. Kept going on his stomach and sides until the vampire was panting and almost unable to laugh anymore. She finally decided to stop, when all that Spike could get out were little snorts and gasps for unneeded oxygen. She giggled a little, and motioned for the others to let him up, which they did, returning to their respective spots around the living room. Buffy moved Spike a little, and sat near his head, pulling his shirt back down and patting his stomach gently. "All done. Welcome to the gang, Scooby."  
  
Xander, who had disappeared upstairs for some reason, came back down, brandishing a small, brown and black object. "Found it!" With an exaggerated bow, he presented the thing to the still panting vampire. A never used Scooby-Doo keychain. "Welcome to the Gang, Spike," he said sincerely, giving the vampire a friendly pat on the shoulder before returning to his recliner.  
  
Willow smiled, and likewise patted Spike's knee as she passed. "Congratulations, Spike."  
  
Dawn grinned, and held up her keychain. "Look. I'm Scrappy, and you're Scooby. We're family, now!"  
  
Spike laughed quietly as he attached the Scooby to his keyring. "Thanks, guys. All of ya. That was... fun."  
  
Buffy laughed. "Told you, Mister Scaredy-Vampire."  
  
"Hey. I have my reasons." Defensively, but with a playful undertone.  
  
She smiled. "Whatever." Got up, and headed to the kitchen. "Chicken."  
  
Spike rolled to his feet and gave a play growl. Then, insparation. Looked at Willow. "Are there any rules about reaffirming memberships, Red?"  
  
Willow grinned slowly. "No. But there should be." Looked to Xander and Dawn. "Right, guys?"  
  
In unison, grins and resounding, "Right"s.  
  
When Buffy returned from the kitchen, it was a good thing that she wasn't carrying anything, because she was pounced by all four of her friends the moment she entered the living room. For the next few minutes, an all out tickle war was fought in the Summers living room, and it was every man, woman, and vampire for themselves. There was no clear winner when it was over, but there also were definitely no losers. From that day forth, Spike was a member of the Scooby Gang. And he never felt alone again.  
  
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Author's Notes 2: I'm going to bed now. Thanks for reading this. It made me feel better to write, and I hope it makes you feel good when you read it. Nothing like fluff to brighten your day- er, night. Whatever. Please review. Thank you. (And remember, this is a one shot deal. I'm not continuing. 'Sides, I'm too bloody tired.) If you'll excuse me, there's a white rabbit with a waistcoat and a watch in my hall, and he keeps asking if I have his buttons. I must go see if he has his permission slip. I have to stamp them, you know. =) 


End file.
